Changing Times
by JinxSaw
Summary: Charlie Lane is visited by Professor Sinistra, revealing that she is magic. But will this new world be more accepting of who Charlie is than the world she came from? Starting summer 1992.
1. Chapter 1

**Changing Times**

 **Charlie Lane is visited by Professor Sinistra, revealing that she is magic. But will this new world be more accepting of who Charlie is than the world she came from?**

Chapter One

One would expect that someone, upon hearing the news that magic was real and that their daughter was magic, to have shown some excitement. Perhaps even to have fainted, or at least to have shown some degree of emotion. At offered the chance to go to real life wizarding shops and experience even more magic, one would have expected someone to be jumping up and down with eagerness. Which is why Professor Sinistra was ever so slightly wary of the reaction of Charlotte's mother.

"I'm sorry, Charlotte, I just don't have the time to go with you to get your school things," Annabel Lane said, her voice actually sounding remorseful, although her body language suggested otherwise. Her head was upright, chin jutting forward just slightly, eyes boring into Charlotte's, defying her to say something, or whine that she wanted her mummy with her.

Charlotte gave her no such satisfaction.

"That's alright, mum," she told her. "I'm sure Professor Sinistra would be more than happy to chaperone me." She looked up at the woman who had arrived to tell her about the new school she had been offered a place at. A school that did many marvellous and, most importantly, magical things. Charlotte, or Charlie as she preferred to be known, had been all set to go to a boarding school in September anyway, an all girls one. She was relieved when the Professor had told her that this school wasn't segregated in quite such a Victorian manner.

"Why, of course," the silver haired woman, who was of course Professor Sinistra, replied. "I wouldn't expect a first year muggle born student to be able to locate the alley on their first venture into the wizarding world. Would you be ready to leave now?"

Charlie jumped to her feet, her mind racing at a hundred miles an hour. She knew she had never been like everyone in her classes before, and she knew that it wasn't just because of her stronger sense of independence, due to having a mostly absent mother and an entirely deadbeat father. It also wasn't, as she had first thought, just due to her repulsion at the idea of make up, and the magazines that the other girls in her year were obsessed with, whereas she chose instead to climb trees and generally get in trouble with the boys.

No, none of that was what made her more of an outcast. It was her ability to do magic.

It explained a lot of things, such as the dresses her mother had tried to make her wear finding their way inexplicably onto the roof, her homework occasionally completing itself and the make up her grandparents had bought for her disappearing as soon as they'd arrived home. Her friends, on the rare occasion she had made a friend, often shunned her for such displays of magic. They couldn't have been seen as normal by regular people.

She watched in amazement as the Professor drew from her pocket a pouch, from which she took a pinch of some sort of powder and threw into the fireplace. The flames turned an emerald green colour.

"Follow my instructions carefully, Miss Lane," she instructed, and stepped into the fireplace. "Diagon Alley!" she said clearly, and promptly vanished.

Charlie stared at the empty fireplace, and looked over at her mother.

"Are you sure you don't want to come?" she asked her, only now that the stranger was gone from their home voicing how she felt. Her mother only shook her head, and Charlie tried to shake the feeling that, somehow, her mother was disappointed in her. She couldn't think why. She had stopped all the nonsense she had once been coming out with, how she didn't want to grow up and get married and have a child, that she wanted to go out and work instead, do something exciting with animals, or exploring, or be the captain of a ship. Her mother had told her to stop being ridiculous, that those were boys jobs, entirely unsuitable for her. When Charlie had pointed out that she herself worked, Annabel had told her that was different.

Charlie shrugged off the thoughts about her mother, and the issues she clearly had regarding traditional gender roles. She hoped it wouldn't be so bad in the magical world. And that there might be a magic spell of some sort she could use to prevent herself from ever growing breasts.

She stepped forward into the fireplace and spoke firmly; "Diagon alley!"

Before she could catch her breath, she was being rushed up, up, up through the chimney. She could smell soot from a thousand fireplaces, and even once thought she caught the faint whiff of some toasting marshmallows. A brick knocked her elbow, and she quickly pulled it in, crossing her arms around her. She didn't want to be injured her first time in the magic world.

At last the journey stopped, and she was spat out of a chimney in a dingy looking pub. There were few others around. A tall man stood behind the bar, polishing a glass, and looked her way when she came tumbling through. No one else looked around. Charlie could see a man and a woman huddled in a corner together.

"Alright, Miss Lane?" Professor Sinistra asked politely, dusting some of the soot off of her shoulder.

"Please, just Charlie will do," she smiled up at the teacher, who returned the expression.

"Professor, I'd move if I were you," the barman called over. Charlie looked up at him, faintly shocked that he knew who the woman next to him was. Was Hogwarts such a huge deal, or was the magic world so small that everyone knew who everyone was? "I've got the Weasley's coming through in a minute, and you don't want to be there when they do." He chuckled slightly, and Professor Sinistra laughed as well.

"Well, let's move then, Charlie," she urged. "Although we may stay here a few minutes while the Weasley's arrive. They've got a girl your age, Ginny, who'll be starting Hogwarts too. It might be nice to see a familiar face on the train in September."

Charlie knew that the Professor meant well, but she didn't think that this Ginny would be the firm friend she would have liked her to be. Still, it didn't hurt to wait.

All of a sudden, green flames shot out of the fireplace, and a boy with red hair came tumbling through. His landing was far more balanced than hers had been, for all its roughness. She guessed he was only about a year older than she was.

"Ah, Weasley!" Professor Sinistra called over to him, and he seemed to freeze as if he was scared of the Professor. "Have you been completing your astronomy charts?" He turned around slowly, and Charlie recognised the face of someone who wasn't exactly the best at schoolwork.

"Uhm, Professor Sinistra," he stammered slightly. "Uhm, no, not yet. Harry's been staying, we had to rescue him…"He trailed off, as if what he was saying he shouldn't have been. He looked at me. "Hello, first year, are you?" he asked.

"Yeah, my name's Charlie Lane." I stuck my hand out, and he shook it, looking slightly distracted.

"Ron Weasley," he muttered. "Harry really should've come through by now…"

The fire turned green again, and a worried looking woman, also with red hair, hurried out of it, looking around her.

"Ron!" she called. "Did Harry come through?"

"No, mum," the boy, Ron, called back. "Did something happen to him?"

"The poor boy mumbled, first time using floo powder, can't really blame him," she bustled.

"Is there a problem, Molly?" Professor Sinistra asked the woman.

"Aurora! Harry seems to have gotten himself lost in the floo network," the woman, Molly replied.

Behind her, there was another burst of green, and an older red headed boy with a younger girl spilled out the fireplace.

"Ouch, Percy, let go of me!" the girl complained. Charlie guessed that was Ginny. "Mum, is Harry Potter going to be alright?" She spoke with the air of the girls at Charlie's old school who had crushes on boys, and Charlie noticed that the man and the woman in the corner glanced around at the mention of Harry's full name.

"I could look after Ginny and Ron for you, mum," the older boy said, sounding very pompous and full of himself indeed. When Charlie looked closer, she could see that he had on a shield shaped badge with the letter 'P' on it. She doubted that it stood for his name, and instead assumed that he was a prefect of some kind.

"Thank you, Percy, but we had all best stick together. Fred, George and your father should be through soon." Molly spoke over Ron's protests at the assumption that he needed to be looked after, and two more boys were spat out of the fireplace in quick succession. Charlie guessed that they were Fred and George, although how anyone could tell them apart she didn't know.

"Do you need any assistance, Molly?" Professor Sinistra asked. Molly shook her head.

"Thank you, but we can manage. Fred, George, do keep an eye out for Harry!" she called at the backs of the retreating twins. One of them raised a hand in acknowledgement, but neither turned around, heading instead for a door near the back of the pub.

Charlie watched them go, not noticing a seventh person step out the fire.

"Molly, he's probably only gone one grate too far. Come on, Ron, Ginny, let's go." Charlie glanced around at the unfamiliar voice, and watched the five remaining Weasley's leave the pub.

"Well, those were the Weasley's, Charlie," Professor Sinistra said calmly. "One of the biggest families there is in the wizarding world."

"Yeah, I could see that," Charlie said, slightly unbelieving. "Five kids is a lot."

"Molly and Arthur have seven children. William and Charles have already graduated from Hogwarts."

"What a coincidence," Charlie laughed. "We have the same name." Professor Sinistra looked at her strangely, and Charlie blushed. "I mean, he has the male version."

The Professor didn't drop the look she was giving the soon to be Hogwarts student, although she did leave the matter there, and instead shepherded her towards the door at the back of the pub, through which Charlie could see an archway leading to a long line of shops.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley," she smiled.


	2. Chapter 2

**Changing Times**

Chapter Two

Charlie looked about her in awe. Everywhere, something magic was going on, people were talking about prices of cauldrons and discussing magical politics. She even heard a group of boys talking about brooms. Her eyes lit up, and she began to move towards them, even as one of the taller ones gave her a look that could kill an elephant.

Professor Sinistra steered her away gently towards another building. It was huge, and made of white marble, which would have been impressive enough in itself, but the entire structure also looked as if it were held together by magic.

"First stop, Gringrotts," she said. Charlie didn't know what Gringrotts was, but she assumed that it was whatever was in the large white building. "We need to pick up your money."

"But, I have my money here, Professor." She held out her purse, inside which were a few pound coins and an old sweet wrapper. Professor Sinistra laughed.

"My dear, in the wizarding world, we have our own currency. I'll teach you when we get to your vault."

"My vault?" she asked, surprised.

"Yes," the Professor replied. "Your great-uncle was a wizard, and a pretty powerful one at that. He left you a lot of money." Charlie frowned.

"I never met any great-uncle. How did he know I was a wizard?"

"He left it to whoever came next in his family, be it witch or wizard." The Professor again frowned at Charlie's use of language, but didn't mention it.

Inside Gringrotts, it was fairly cold. Their footsteps echoed across the marble floor despite the bustle all around them, and Charlie looked amazed at the creatures behind the desks, because they were anything but human. Small wizened people, who looked almost like walnuts rather than any person or creature that Charlie had ever seen before.

"They're goblins, Charlie," Professor Sinistra whispered to her. "Never try and double cross a goblin."

"Hello, Professor!" a girl standing with her parents, who looked slightly terrified of the surrounding creatures, called across.

"Hermione!" the Professor greeted the girl warmly. "And how are you enjoying your break?"

The two chatted for a minute, while Charlie reflected on the fact that she seemed to get on better with Hermione than she had Ron. Maybe she had shown Hermione the magic world for the first time as well? Judging from her parents' expressions, they weren't magical.

"This here's Charlotte Lane, a first year." Charlie was startled out of her thoughts at the mention of her name.

"Hello, Charlotte," Hermione beamed. "Do you mind if I call you Lotte? I do think that's ever such a lovely name, and – "

"Actually, I go by Charlie," she interrupted her. Hermione looked momentarily affronted, before continuing.

"What house are you hoping for?" she asked, kindly.

 _Whatever house you're not in_ , Charlie found herself thinking.

"I'm not sure yet. I feel like I could be in any really." _Or none._ She chided herself for thinking like that.

"I may see you in Gryffindor then!" she said excitedly, and Charlie fought the urge to roll her eyes.

"Yeah, maybe," she settled for instead.

"We'd better get going, Harry and Ron should be here soon." She waved goodbye to the two of them, and hurried off, her parents following in her wake.

"We're here to access the vault left to Miss Charlotte Lane," Professor Sinistra said to a nearby goblin whose desk was empty. The goblin peered over his desk at Charlie, and she suddenly felt as if she were being scanned by something. She felt her secrets rising to the top, including her darkest secret, and fought to keep control of them. Fear bubbled in her throat as she thought of what would happen if her mother found out, when suddenly the goblin nodded, and hopped out from behind his desk.

"Follow me, if you will," he requested, his voice strangely deep. Charlie followed, as did Professor Sinistra, and the goblin showed them to a truck on a railway line. The climbed in, and as the Professor tucked her robe into the truck, it began to move, slowly at first, then gradually picking up speed.

Charlie was grinning widely as she felt the wind rush through her hair. She had never been this exhilarated, had never once been on a roller coaster that matched up to this ride. And to think that this was in a bank!

It ended far too soon for her liking, but she noticed that Professor Sinistra seemed all too eager to be back on solid ground again. Charlie could barely stifle her smirk.

The goblin handed Charlie a key, which had a warm feeling on her, almost as if she had held it once before, long ago. He, for Charlie assumed the goblin to be male due to the tone of his voice, directed her towards the door, over which the number three hundred and fifteen was inscribed above the door, and a large keyhole stood prominently in the middle. Charlie briefly thought about how this probably wasn't the optimal positioning for a keyhole, before realising she had been holding her breath nervously.

She banished the thoughts from her brain, calling herself ridiculous, and pushed the key into the hole. The door swung open.

The inside of the vault, _her_ vault, glittered out at her as she gazed around at the piles of coins and other treasures. There were a few everyday objects, such as a rocking horse and a fairly fancy chair, as well as more interesting and unusual items, including a sword handing on the far wall. She immediately made a beeline for the weapon, before Professor Sinistra called over to her.

"Miss Lane, we are here to collect money for your school things, not to mess around with dangerous weapons!" Charlie reluctantly made her way over the part of her vault that she could see contained coins of various size and colour.

"Now, the bronze ones, here, are called knuts. There are fourteen knuts to every sickle, that's this silver one here. You with me so far?" she asked, and Charlie nodded. "There are seven sickles to every galleon, which is this big gold one. You will need around thirty galleons for your school things, but you are welcome to take as much as you think you will need."

Charlie was doubtful that even one galleon would fit in her tiny purse, and voiced her concerns to the professor.

"Gringrotts can sell you a money bag for five knuts, Mr… _Miss_ Lane," the goblin said, smoothly covering up his mistake.

"One money bag then, please," Charlie requested, carefully counting out five of the small bronze coins and tipping them into the goblins tiny hand. He grinned, showing at least forty pointy teeth, and handed her a small leather pouch.

"This bag contains a limited undetectable extension charm. Easily big enough to fit up to seventy galleons," he said. "For a small fee of two sickles, I can extend that charm to fit one hundred galleons?"

"Seventy is more than enough for any first year student," Professor Sinistra said firmly, and watched as Charlie stuffed seventy galleons into the bag, before turning to head back to the truck, a look of grim determination on her face. Charlie quickly grabbed five more galleons and stuffed them deep into her pockets, looking at the goblin who, if she wasn't mistaken, winked at her. With one last longing look at the sword, she climbed back on board the truck, ready to ride the rollercoaster once again.

Shopping had never really been Charlie's favourite thing to do, but it was different when everything around her was magical. Their first stop was to buy robes and uniform, where Charlie surprised the robe fitter by opting to choose to wear trousers rather than the school skirt that was offered to her.

"Scotland's cold," she had shrugged when she had been looked at questioningly. To her left, a boy sniggered, and she glared at him.

"What, like you think they don't have spells up there to keep the castle warm?" He laughed again, and the woman who was with him tapped him on the head.

"Can it, John. Don't want to go making enemies before you've even started," the woman said, glancing at the Professor.

"Mrs Harper," Professor Sinistra nodded at the woman, who Charlie supposed was the boy's mother.

"If they have spells, then why does the uniform have so many layers?" Charlie retorted. John scowled at her, and his mother quickly urged him out the shop.

Professor Sinistra and Charlie made their way out the shop, and picked up the rest of her school supplies: a cauldron, scales, various quills and parchment, a set of phials, a telescope (which the Professor had been all too keen to assist Charlie with her decision of which one to buy), a trunk and, to her great excitement, a wand.

Ollivanders had been a strange shop. While it looked rather like a shoe shop store room, in that it had stacks upon stacks of boxes piled up towards the ceiling, it was nothing like a shoe shop. For a start, it was a much more fussy business. With shoes, Charlie simply picked a pair in her size and, if they fit, she'd buy them. With wands, it was a bit different.

"The wand choses the wizard, Miss Lane," he had stated, staring deep into my eyes. I shifted slightly. "You do bear a remarkable resemblance to him, my dear."

"To my great-uncle?" she asked. Ollivander just hummed absently, and made his way into the back of the shop, searching for something.

"Ah ha!" he cried triumphantly, coming back with what looked like fifteen boxes, and Charlie felt her heart sink. How could getting a wand take so long?

"Rosewood and unicorn," he said, handing her a… Stick. She took it with some disappointment, expecting a wand to look far more impressive. He snatched it out her hand almost as soon as she had taken it. "Nope, that won't do. Let's try this one! Hawthorne and dragon heartstring, twelve inches…" He watched as she took it, but took it back instantly again.

Charlie felt like he had taken an age, before he gasped, and suddenly ran off into the back of his shop again. She looked at Professor Sinistra, one eyebrow raised.

"Garrick Ollivander is a little eccentric," she offered as way of explanation. Well, she could say that again, Charlie thought.

Ollivander made his way back to the front of the shop, clasping a leather case tightly in his hands. He placed it with care on the counter and opened the catches. Charlie peered forward curiously, as did Professor Sinistra, she noted.

"Black walnut and white river monster spine. Sixteen inches," he said, almost reverently. "Created in the 1920s in America, by Thiago Quintana." He handed it to Charlie, and she felt a rush of warmth, like lying outside on a summers day.

"This wand belonged to Lorcan McLaid, Miss Lane," Ollivander said, seriously. "And it is often attributed to his eccentric behaviour from the second year of his appointment as Minister for Magic until the day he died, and it was left to the shop." He cleared his throat suddenly. "That will be seven galleons, please," he said, standing upright, as Charlie counted out seven of the golden coins, and Professor Sinistra ushered her out the shop.

"Really, I don't know what's got into that man's head," Sinistra sighed, more to herself than to Charlie. "Well, that's enough nonsense for one day." She looked around, catching sight of the bookshop Florish and Blotts, from which a long queue was snaking out. "So I think we'll be going to somewhere else for your school books. Ordinarily, you would go there to buy your books, but there's a book signing currently. Personally, I think the man's a bit of a…" She trailed off. "I shouldn't say anything bad about him though. Follow me, Charlie," she commanded, and they began to make their way to another shop that looked distinctly more dingy, although was still full of books.

Inside, the shop was empty, aside from one relaxed looking woman who smiled broadly at her.

"First year at Hogwarts? Don't blame you coming here and not to F and B today, it's mad in there, isn't it?" Her grin became even wider, if that was even possible. She moved with grace towards a tall shelf, surprising Charlie by suddenly flying up the bookcase. She filled a bag that was hanging from a hook with a few books, which the woman found with a well-practiced ease.

"They're required to have all the Lockhart books as well, Lucinda," Sinistra called up. Lucinda frowned.

"Well, we've certainly got plenty of _those_ ," she sneered, and floated back down to the ground. With a flick of her wand, a pile of books was illuminated, each with a picture of the same smiling wizard on the front. Using an unnecessary amount of force, she threw some of them into the bag, scowling. "People buy them for their friends who already have sets, or know that he's the hugest fraud of this century. Who's the defence professor this year, Aurora? Female?"

Professor Sinistra cleared her throat.

"Actually, Gilderoy is the teacher," she clarified. Lucinda stared for a minute, before laughing.

"You're pulling my leg, darling," she said, wiping a tear. "What on earth was Albus thinking?"

"I'll write to you, Lucinda. How much does that come to?" Lucinda looked at Charlie.

"My dear, for simply the ordeal of having to have Gilderoy Lockhart as your professor, even for just one year, you can have the whole lot of that for just two galleons." She laughed once again, as Charlie took out the coins and handed them to her, before making her way over to a large armchair, giggling softly.

Charlie resolved to come to this funny old woman every year for her school books.

"That's everything, Charlie," Professor Sinistra said, once they were both outside again, blinking in the bright sunlight. "Unless you would like an animal? Owls are quite useful in the wizarding world, they're used to carry our mail."

She thought for a moment. Having an owl would be pretty awesome. No one she knew had an owl as a pet, not even Casper Jones, a boy in her class, even though he did have a gecko.

"I'd love an owl, but I'm not sure that my mother would be entirely happy with me taking one home," she confessed.

"That's quite alright, Charlie. I will make sure that your mother is happy with your pet before I leave you later on."

And, half an hour later, Charlie was happily waving off Professor Sinistra from her house, her new barn owl perched happily on her shoulder.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

As promised, Professor Sinistra met Charlie at Kings Cross station at half ten on the first of September. She hugged and kissed her mother farewell, before turning to her teacher.

"To get onto the platform, you just need to walk straight through that brick wall," she said in soothing tones. Charlie looked at her in disbelief.

"You want me to walk into a wall?" she asked incredulously. Sinistra just laughed, and Charlie began to doubt everything she had seen. What if it had just been one huge acid trip?

She took a deep breath, and walked purposefully towards the wall, closing her eyes, bracing for impact and glad that her trolley would hit the wall before she did. But she never felt any kind of jolt, so she opened her eyes to see what was taking her so long to cross the short area of ground, and found herself on a station platform.

All around her, witches and wizards bustled around, collecting luggage and pets, waving cheerful goodbyes and greeting their friends. A large red steam engine stood proudly on the tracks, almost gleaming in the sunlight. Charlie stared in awe at the engine, as the steam was blown gently across the platform. She was reminded of one of the times her dad had taken her out, before he had vanished, to a steam railway. It wasn't the best thing to remember just before starting a new school, as on that occasion her dad had left her behind in the carriage to get a beer in a pub, completely forgetting about her.

"This is where I leave you, Charlie," Professor Sinistra said suddenly, making her jump. "If you need any help at Hogwarts, you can come and find me, but I'm sure you will get on just fine by yourself." She smiled brightly, and Charlie smiled back, uncertainly, before pushing her trolley towards a carriage.

An older student, wearing the same 'P' badge that the boy in Diagon Alley had been wearing, helped her get her trunk on board and into a compartment. She introduced herself as Penelope Clearwater, and told Charlie to find her if she had any difficulties. Charlie thanked her, and she left, presumably to help some other struggling first year,

Charlie settled back into her seat, tucking her feet up underneath her, and pulled out her book Wandering with Werewolves and began to read. She hadn't been reading very long, when there was a tentative knock on the window of her compartment. She looked up to see a nervous looking sandy haired boy at the window.

"Hello," he introduced himself. "I'm Colin. Colin Creevy. It's my first year." He sounded shy, but brimming with excitement, a rather fancy looking camera strung around his neck. Charlie smiled at him.

"Hi, Colin. I'm Charlie, Charlie Lane." She held out her hand for him to shake, and he took it.

"Do you mind if I sit in here with you?" he asked, starting to sound less nervous and more excited.

"Not at all," Charlie replied. "Do you need a hand with your trunk?" He did, and Charlie set aside her book to help him drag it in and push it under a seat. "Are you a muggle born as well?" she asked him.

"Yeah, I was so excited when I got my letter. My dad couldn't believe it, he's a milkman, you see. We reckon it came from mum's side of the family," Colin explained as Charlie went to shut the door again, only to see the girl from Diagon Alley again, Ginny Weasley. She waved at her, and she notice her brother, one of the twins, pointing down the corridor towards her. Ginny shook her head, and the twins shrugged.

"Well she's unfriendly," Charlie said, frowning slightly.

"Maybe she's just nervous?" Colin suggested.

"Maybe," replied Charlie, not sounding convinced.

At that moment, the train began to move. Charlie sat down, and watched as London flashed past her window as the train gained speed and, with a surprising speed, they were in the countryside. Trees and farmhouses zipped by.

"What house are you hoping to get into?" Colin asked her.

"I think I'd probably be a Hufflepuff," Charlie answered. "I don't think I'm particularly cunning or brave or smart."

"You're brave," Colin argued. "You've just entered into a completely different world with no idea how it works. That's brave, I reckon. All muggle borns are brave, really."

Charlie liked his way of thinking, but wasn't sure that was how whoever sorted them would see it.

"How do you think we're sorted then?" asked Charlie.

"I've got no idea," Colin said. "I heard some older students telling another first year that we had to wrestle a troll and play some game of chess."

"Maybe we've got to do a test for each house, and whichever we pass best is the house we belong in," Charlie suggested.

Their speculations were interrupted by a kind old woman looking in on them.

"Anything from the trolley, dears?" she asked.

Colin and Charlie jumped happily to their feet, prepared to buy as many sweets as they could, but were shocked when they didn't recognise any of the food.

"What is it all?" Charlie asked. The witch patiently talked through all of the sweets and what they were, and by the end of it, they each had a rather large sample of food to try. Charlie was particularly eager to try a cauldron cake, although she was fairly sure it would just be a filled cupcake, whereas Colin couldn't wait to try a Bertie Botts Every Flavour Bean.

"Is it really every flavour?" Charlie asked, uncertain. Colin shrugged.

"I dunno. I guess we'll have to find out." He pulled a white one out the packet, and sniffed it cautiously. "I think this is coconut?" he said, and bit into it carefully before gagging. Charlie laughed.

"What flavour was it?" she asked.

"Soap," he replied, grabbing the bottle of pumpkin juice he'd bought to wash the taste away. The two were soon trying the various different flavoured beans, with Colin taking the occasional picture when Charlie ate the beans which were particularly disgusting.

"A prefect told me that if I develop the photos in the right way then they'll move!" he said excitedly.

Charlie didn't believe this, and privately thought that he'd be better off with a camcorder rather than believing what this prefect had told him. She was sure that people who had grown up around magic would wind them up a fair bit before the year was up. She bit into the caldron cake, not surprised to find that the inside was full of melted chocolate, but slightly shocked that it was hot.

Colin laughed at her reaction, and took a picture. Charlie stuck her tongue out at him and laughed as well.

"You should put your robes on, now," the prefect, Penelope Clearwater said, sticking her head into the compartment. "We will be arriving soon. You can leave your trunks here, though. They'll be taken up to the castle for you."

The two stretched, and put on their robes over the uniform they were already wearing. Both of them had had the foresight to wear their trousers and shirts onto the train, although Colin was reluctant to put his jumper on as well.

"Scotland is a cold place," Charlie said, warningly.

"You sound like my dad," Colin grumbled. "Besides, don't wizards have heating spells for that?" Charlie rolled her eyes.

"If they did, do you really think they'd get us to wear multiple layers and cloaks?" she asked. Colin reluctantly put on his jumper as the train rolled into the station.

Outside, it had grown dark, and the street lamps and the lights shining out from the train were the only things lighting their way. All around them was the slight chaos of a thousand children making their way in different directions. Charlie tried to find Penelope Clearwater to work out where they needed to be. Instead, she saw the girl from the bank, Hermione Granger.

"Have you seen Harry and Ron?" she was asking a boy about the same height as Charlie. He shook his head, and Granger looked around, worried. Charlie thought that she would know where to go, but from the look on her face she could tell that she wouldn't appreciate being spoken to right now.

They were saved from any more confusion when they heard over the crowd the sound of a great booming voice calling: "Firs' years, over here!" Colin and Charlie exchanged a look, relieved that someone was telling them where they needed to go. They followed the sound of the voice, until they were in a rather large group of people, around forty odd.

"Is tha' everyone?" the owner of the voice, a large hairy man asked, looking around, and doing a quick headcount. "Alrigh', follow me, firs' years!"

"Hagrid!" Charlie heard a voice calling, and she looked around, along with the rest of the first years and the giant.

"Alrigh', Hermione?" he asked, his ruddy face breaking into a smile. "Where's Harry and Ron?"

"I've been looking for them for the whole train ride," she said, concerned. "I don't think they got on the train!" The giant, Hagrid, frowned.

"You leave it with me, Hermione. I'll sort it out." He turned around again. "Come on, firs' years!"

The group followed the man down a slippery slope for a long time. Charlie could hear someone complaining, and she thought she recognised the voice. When she looked around, she saw the boy from the clothes shop, Harper. A girl in the group, one with very pale hair and a dreamy expression, was chatting away to the Weasley girl.

"Your aura is clouded," she was saying. "Have you tried talismans?"

Charlie wondered if auras were real and, if they were, if seeing them was something they would be taught. To be honest, she had no idea how magic classes would go.

They reached a large lake that stretched away from them and around a cliff face, the water framed on each side by a forest. Near to where they stood, about a dozen boats bobbed on the surface of the lake.

"No more than four to a boat!" Hagrid called again, and Charlie found herself in a boat with Colin, Ginny and the strange blonde girl, who introduced herself as Luna Lovegood. Charlie supressed a laugh at the name.

"You'll get your first glimpse of Hogwarts Castle soon," Hagrid said, his loud voice carrying clearly across the water. Sure enough, as they rounded the cliff face, they were met with the sight of the castle in all its glory.

Charlie was lost for words. It rose as if it were a part of the landscape, both majestic and humble in its grandeur. A multitude of turrets rose from the fortress, reaching for the sky and almost making it. Lights shone from every window, and reflected in the lake below, making it appear as if the castle not only touched the sky, but also reached into the depths of the waters. A slight mist was in the air, making the castle appear ethereal. Charlie realised that this was her home for the next seven years. She had seven years to explore this miraculous building, and she wouldn't waste a second of it.

Briefly, she wondered if there was a potion or a spell that took away the need for sleep.

 **A/N: Thanks to PixiePatronus13675 for your fantastic reviews! In answer to your concerns, I've always thought that Hermione didn't go to a primary school after about year two, and was instead homeschooled. Because of this, her only experience with anybody younger than herself would have been children at the waiting room in her parents' dentistry practice, and the ones who would have wanted to engage with her would have been considerably younger. So Hermione is not an awful person who feels that people can't name themselves, but has little to no experience with people who are only slightly younger than she is. As for the wands, I know the readers are aware, but Charlie isn't, and the details of the wand would have been told to Ollivander by Lorcan McLaid, not by Quintana, so no issues of secrecy have been broken. I hope you continue to enjoy this fic!**


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